


Why Don't We Fall In Love?

by ATOTENSHI



Category: Mafia (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Marriage, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-24 01:21:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30064494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ATOTENSHI/pseuds/ATOTENSHI
Summary: After a two years of seeing each other in secret, Jimena wonders if she could be more than just Ralph's secret lover.
Relationships: Ralphie (Mafia)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 2





	Why Don't We Fall In Love?

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: this is not my work, it belongs to  
> Imaginesforallkindsoflove on Tumblr. I commissioned it from them and asked if I could post it here. Jimena Rosario is my character, and if anyone wants to write her and Ralph, I'll be so happy! I noticed people are starting to like this paring and I'm super excited! If you wanna write her with Ralphie just let me know! :)

Jimena Rosario was a patient and understanding woman… But not when it came to thugs degrading her restaurant. 

She sighed angrily as she observed how the windows were tagged in white with the usual obscene words. At least, she could wash it with soap but it would take time, and she needed to open her business soon. She had to take care of the kitchen, cleaning the inside quickly and putting the chairs and tables outside… A lot of working people come to get their breakfasts there! She couldn’t welcome them with her restaurant in that state! 

“Gu-Guuh Good m-morning, Jimena!” 

She turned her head and saw the sweet Ralph standing next to her. He was observing the tagged words on the big and clear windows with a neutral expression. After all, he was part of a family crime here, in Lost Heaven. Those must be usual for him to read. Jimena mumbled angrily again in her native language, and told Ralph that she apologised for the state of the restaurant.

“Do-Don’t be so-sorry for it! It is not your fa-fault…”

“I have to open in twenty minutes, and I have to prepare so many things, and…”

“Don’t be worried! Let me help you… Pl-please.” 

The young woman observed him for a second. Wouldn’t people be suspicious of them if they saw him cleaning her windows? She hated to ask for help, especially from him, but she really needed an extra hand. 

“Alright but… cover at least the back of your head… And wear that dirty coat I keep to go outside when it rains.”

Ralphie was a total sweetheart, and clearly wrapped around her finger. He was the sweetest man she knew, and an excellent mechanic. He helped her with her car so many times and she was grateful to know him. They were sweet on each other, only being able to be their true selves behind closed doors. Ralph was so scared that Jimena would get injured, or worse, if someone found out about her, his weakness… But the woman could handle herself just fine. However, the man didn’t see the things that way about their relationship so they prefered to hide and see each other in secret. 

“Here, all do-do-done!” The brown haired man announced with a smile, gesturing for Jimena to watch his work outside.

“You did well… You definitely deserve a kiss… and a little something to eat at your garage!” 

"O-oh, I don't have ti-ti-time for that… I have to fix se-se-se- a lot of ca-cars today, and I am gl-glad to do it for the Don… I know it is a dangerous position and all but… They pa-pay me well." 

"Alright…" The black haired woman replied with a soft smile. "Be careful on your way to work." 

When he finally left, Jimena couldn't help but dream of something else. All she wanted was to be with her Ralphie, her sweet lover, officially. No more hiding, no more seeing each other behind closed doors like unfaithful lovers. She wanted to marry the man, and she would right away kneel down to ask him to do so… 

She even considered buying a ring. 

But it would be strange. Usually, it was the man demanding for the woman's hand, not the contrary. And she didn't want to force Ralph. She knew how easily he sometimes gives in to ridiculous demands from his work partners. He didn’t know how to say no. 

As she was cooking to calm herself down, she started to think about their future together. She didn't know how long he was going to hang out with the crime family, because he seemed to consider them well, his family. Some of them even made fun of his stuttering, like that man named Paulie, and Ralphie would sometimes insult back or let it slide. She thought it was wrong. He should stand up for himself definitely. 

Her usual customers were present. Most of the people coming for lunch were working people, glad to have a job during those tough times. She knew most of them, and she made sure of noting their food habits. And when the evening was settled, she could see many families walking in to have dinner in La Pequeña Estrella. There were moments where she was a little jealous of those women swooning and smiling in front of their husbands, talking to them, caressing their hands… She wished she could do the same with her conejito… She should talk to him about what she was feeling. 

Suddenly, her eyes settled on the most handsome man who just walked in. 

It was her handsome man, Ralphie. He was dressed with a black suit, looking incredibly hot she had to admit. He was alone, but she noticed how he turned to mouth something and waved at someone outside her restaurant. He walked toward her with confidence, and she found herself speechless. She was really in love with that man.

"Go-good evening, my lady. I am fre-free for the evening. What would you like to d-do?" 

She laughed at his antics and took a glimpse at the clock in the corner of the yellow room. It was time to close. The last of her clients paid, not taking attention of the man sitting at the counter and left. She closed the door with a smile and locked it behind her. 

"What would it be for tonight, conejito?" She smirked, her coloured eyes shining with the lights. 

"You know--Oh I forgot the na-name again…" He replied, disappointed. 

"Come on, follow me." 

They went in the back of the restaurant, where she kept her best drinks, that she didn't serve to a handful of people that she appreciated and were generous to her. It was a drink called Mamajuana, a beverage from where she came from and that she could make herself. It was the best in Lost Heaven. 

"You are a very good looking man…" She flirted as she opened a box full of bottles. "You should dress in suits more… It looks incredible on you…" 

"Thank you! To-Tommy helped me with it! I never wore one, and he said it was a th-th-th-thank you gift for fixing one of his cars." The brown haired man replied quickly with a huge smile, not taking the hints. "He is a great man, and he is ve-very kind to me. Maybe one day I'll introduce you to him! You'll li-like him for sure!"

"Aren't you afraid I'll run into his arms instead of yours?" She joked, raising an eyebrow, testing him a little. 

"Of co-course not." He replied, approaching her and hugging her from behind. "I trust you. I love you. I know if there is a problem between us, you would ta-talk to me about it."

Well… She wanted to speak to him about what she was feeling about hiding but… she didn't want to ruin the mood. He was working a lot under pressure, she feared she would make things worse. She opened a bottle, and poured the beverage into her most beautiful glasses. 

"To us…" She cheered quietly, raising her glass before drinking it.

"Is so-something wrong?" Ralphie questioned, sensing she was bothered with something. 

"I am going to be blunt. I am growing tired of hiding. I want no more hiding. I want to sleep at your place and not leave early in the morning or just after sleeping together." She revealed, not daring to look at him. "I want to hold your hand in public, fuck... I want to be called your wife… But I feel like this day will never come. You are always worried about what could happen because of the other gangs and crime families."

The man slowly nodded as he listened to her. She hoped he would understand, she really felt bad telling him about what was worrying her and her hopes in the future. All she told him was the honest truth… 

Ralphie glanced at her and fiddled with his pale fingers, like a shy schoolboy staring at his crush. 

"So…. You wa-wanna m-marry me?" He asked, blushing madly with a soft grin. 

"I mean… I mean I thought about it. But I don't want to pressure you into it. A wedding is forever… And what if one of your enemies show up? I don't want to be responsible for what evil will happen there." 

The next hours after that discussion went fast, and Ralphie helped the woman close her restaurant. She kissed him fiercely and for a long time. When they parted, she already was missing him and his touch. Jimena watched him leaving in the shadows. 

For the following days, the young woman worked more than usual. She guessed why: a lot of restaurants in Lost Heaven were closing because of the lack of clients and well… money. Thanks to the local gangsters who came often and the working class, she knew she was far from being close down. Still, she felt bad for the others… But as long as her business was on, she was pretty happy with her life. 

It also had been a while since Ralphie came… She wondered what he was up to, or… the thought of him being dead had crossed her mind two or three times. She sighed as she washed several glasses and went on serving several working men. She never was worried about them, they had families and often researched a little fun time with their friends while drinking. They were quite nice too. As she walked past them with a smile, she caught them speaking about several gangsters dying during a fight. A settling of scores apparently. 

She tried to not look worried but… if her Raplhie had died in that battle, then she would make the ones who murdered him suffer and the ones who asked him to do whatever would perish too. She was a protective one, and she would not hesitate to shoot someone. She sighed, annoyed by the paperwork she had to do. She didn’t understand why she had to do it, but it was important, especially if she didn’t want her restaurant to be closed. The young woman rolled her eyes, remembering how several members of the government came to speak to her about the gang's whereabouts. She told them a half truth: she didn’t know what they were doing, but she never mentioned Ralphie or his strange friends. It would feel like betraying her kind lover. 

Jimena jumped when someone knocked on her restaurant’s door. She reached for the gun she kept under the counter, away from the client's eyes, but a place where she could take it quickly. She had learned how to defend herself, and she knew a gun could come in handy, in some parts of Lost Heaven. She walked slowly toward the door, her guard up and her grip on the gun’s handle tight. She opened the door in a swift motion with a cold frown, not liking to be bothered by someone in the middle of the evening. 

“Hello, sweetheart!” Ralphie exclaimed, a huge smile on his face.

He opened his arms to hug the woman, who didn’t know what to do. She was surprised by his sudden apparition. He had been a ghost for some days now, she had every right to be astounded, and quite furious. She pulled the young man inside, and locked the door behind her. He stared at her, not understanding her actions.

“What’s up with you?” He asked. “A-aren't you ha-happy to see me?”

“You were gone for so long…” She replied, her voice shaking because of the worry and the anger she had been feeling those last days. “You didn’t even warn me!” 

She then proceeded to yell at him in her native language for at least ten minutes, but Ralphie didn’t seem to mind. He was beaning, his eyes twinkling… It was definitely strange. Jimena then questioned him about his absence. 

“You know, I thought a lot about what you to-told me the other night. About, you know, being ma-married and all that.” He revealed a faint blush on his pale cheeks. “So..., I asked To-Tommy for some help and advice, even the D-Don gave me some tips!” 

“Where are you going with this?” The Dominican woman asked, feeling the excitement bubbling inside of her.

“Well…”

The man reached in his pocket and pulled out a small and shiny black box. Jimena gasped as he started to kneel down in front of her, opening the jewellery case slowly. The ring was beautiful, sitting on a small red velvet cushion. She was certain it was expensive, it has some little diamond on it, something extravagant, and she understood why he mentioned the Don. Ralph had helped them so many times, by sometimes even stealing for them, and committing crimes. Of course, he was paid… But he was part of the crime family. She understood why they wanted to participate.

“Ralphie… It is incredible!” She exclaimed, tears threatening to fall. 

“It to-took a while to find the perfect ring, but here we are. We ro-rode around the city for the best one, because you are…. you deserve the be-best. You turned my world upside down, Jimena.” He confessed, still kneeling. “I do-don’t know what I'd be without you.   
You are my strength, you are my sun a-and my moon, you are my-my everything. I couldn’t a-ask for more in a girlfriend. I-It might not be written in the, you know, off-ff-fficial records for the moment bu-but... “ 

Ralph raised his head and his eyes met her different colored ones. Joyful tears started to fall down her soft skin, but she couldn’t say anything. 

“Jimena Rosario, would you make me the honor of being my wife?” 

She couldn’t help but cry more. She could see that Ralph looked concerned about her current state but she nodded eagerly with a smile.

“Do-does that mean you want to ma-marry me?” 

“Oh yes, Ralphie! Of course!” She cried as she jumped into his arms. 

He laughed at that and hugged her back tightly. Yes, maybe their weddings will never be official for now, but she was happy that he thought about what she told him. She couldn’t wish for a more perfect life. Jimena watched the young man as he took the ring carefully from the box and slowly slided it on her finger. It fit perfectly. After she calmed down, the man explained he “stole” one of her old rings to have the perfect size, and that was why he was absent for some days: he had been waiting for the ring to be done before hurrying back to her. Jimena was the happiest woman on Earth, that evening.

She knew that they wouldn’t have a big marriage and she was fine with it. She was not like those pesky little soon to be wives in the richer neighbourhood of Lost heaven, she didn’t throw a fit when she couldn’t have what she wanted. Still, Jimena could count on the generous help of the Don, and the Salieri crime family. After all, she had helped them a few times. She had chosen a simple white dress, because it was technically not a wedding. Ralph had joked about Ennion Salieri being the one to marry them. She liked the help he provided, but he was not the right person to do it. The ceremony would be held inside her restaurant, and Ralphie had agreed that the spot was perfect, it was like sealing their destinies forever after having spent so many good times in the building. The groom had helped the bride with cooking, and she had made him delicious meals… So, it was the perfect place. The members of the gang still came for the preparations, and they had done a pretty good job: they installed little lights and colourful tinsels on the walls of the restaurant.

It was only her, Ralph and Tommy Angelo, Ralphie’s newest friend. He had accepted the task of being the member of the cleric that will marry them. He was smiling awkwardly during the whole ceremony, and Jimena couldn’t help but chuckle at that. But he did good. To thank him, she offered him her best beverages and he was content with that. The man left them after congratulating them, bringing some little gifts and joking about the honeymoon. Jimena didn’t have time to think about that, but she would have liked a nice little vacation in her native home… 

The young woman was laying on her bed, her now husband at her side. She couldn’t help but grin as he talked about the future projects and… he even brought up having children. She noticed how shy he was when he spoke about that.

“Whatever you wa-want! I mean… It's yo-you who'll have to ca-ca-carry them…” He said, while fluffing her hair softly. “I don’t wanna pre-pressure you to do a-a-anything you wouldn’t wa-wanna do.”

“I know, guapo. I trust you.” She replied sweetly, kissing his hand. “We should take things slow.“

“Do you wa-wanna to go to the Dominican Republic for our ho-honeymoon? The Don said I could le-leave for some weeks, if I wanted.” 

“Well… I don’t really know. There's not much to do in my hometown. Plus, I have my restaurant to take care of, people are counting on me to feed them, and I don’t want any of the family to come and mess with my business!" She lamented before adding, "You know what I think of Paulie, I don’t want him near me.” 

“Okay.” He chuckled as he moved closer to her, wanting to cuddle for a bit, before falling asleep. “I wish my m-ma had been there.” He sighed sadly. “But, I think she'd be pro-proud of me and how far I g-got in life. I married the most go-gorgeous girl in the whole ci-city…” He smirked. 

“And I married the most handsome man in all of Lost Haven.” She smiled back, her hand resting on his cheek before leaning toward his face and kissing him passionately. 


End file.
